Broadway Grosses

[+ Lucky]

Interesting to note that Ching-Lish, which I liked a lot, and Follies, which many here like, are the two worst selling shows on Broadway this past week.

 

Ching-Lish only sold 45.4% of its seats, and Follies sold 47%. This is for Thanksgiving week, a big time for tourists.

 

Bonnie & Clyde, which had yet to get its bad reviews, sold 78.8% of its seats.

 

Wicked, Book of Mormon, War Horse, and The Lion King were sellouts.

[+ WilliamM]

From talking to people much more knowing about Broadway than I, the grosses are just as important as percent of seats sold. "Follies," a show that I did not like, is playing in a huge theater. There is no denying that it has slipped badly with the availability of other musicals now as well as concerts (Jackman & LuPone/Patinkin). But at 47% and limited discounts, "Follies" may still be close to meeting its weekly break even number.

[+ Lucky]

I recognize that this is just one week in a show's run, and you have a good point about the size of the theater. For me, Follies would have been better in a smaller theater anyway.

The fact remains that the statistic has some value in determining a show's popularity.